Employer of record in Serbia: costs and rules
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An employee in Serbia costs the employer 15.15% on top of gross pay, of which 10% is the employer share of pension and disability insurance (PIO) and 5.15% health insurance, on a monthly base between RSD 51,297 and RSD 732,820 in 2026, according to the PIO Fund (the employer and employee split is from unija.com, a secondary source); an EOR's fee comes on top, from $199 (Payoneer Workforce Management, formerly Skuad) to $699 (Oyster) a month (October 2026 list prices). What US employers get wrong is the minimum wage: Serbia sets it as a net hourly figure, RSD 371 an hour for 2026 excluding tax and contributions, so the gross floor an employer pays is higher.
An employer of record in Serbia is a Serbian company that employs your worker, calculates and pays both sides of the social contributions and the wage tax, and runs dinar payroll, while you direct the work.
- Employer cost on a sample salary
- 15.15%on top of gross pay
- Currency
- RSD
On this page
Serbian payroll rules worth knowing first
Serbia's contributions are split unevenly. Of the 24% PIO total, the employer pays 10% and the employee 14%. Health insurance is 10.3%, half each. Unemployment insurance of 0.75% is paid by the employee alone. The worker also pays 10% wage tax above a non-taxable amount, so the employee side is 19.9% in contributions plus tax.
- A floor and a ceiling. For January 1 to December 31, 2026, contributions are charged on at least RSD 51,297 and at most RSD 732,820 of monthly pay (Sl. glasnik RS 112/2025): 35% and 5 times the average wage for October 2024 to September 2025. In 2025 the limits were RSD 45,950 and RSD 656,425.
- A net minimum wage. RSD 371 an hour net for 2026, up from RSD 337 for October to December 2025, or about RSD 59,360 net for a 160-hour month (biznis.rs, secondary).
We have not yet confirmed Serbia's Labor Law terms from an official source: annual leave, public holidays, probation, notice, redundancy pay, pay frequency and hours. Ask your EOR for the terms it applies, in writing, and check them with the Ministry of Labor, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs.
Employment costs and rules in Serbia
| Item | Serbia |
|---|---|
| Employer social contributions | 15.15% (pension and disability 10%, health 5.15%) |
| What the employer pays | Pension and disability insurance (PIO) 10% employer of the 24% total; health insurance 5.15% employer of the 10.3% total; unemployment insurance 0% employer (0.75% is paid by the employee only) |
| Caps and ceilings | Monthly contribution base floor RSD 51,297 and ceiling RSD 732,820 from 1 Jan to 31 Dec 2026 (Sl. glasnik RS 112/2025; 35% and 5x the average wage for Oct 2024 to Sep 2025). 2025 values were RSD 45,950 and RSD 656,425 (per biznis.rs) |
| Employee contributions | 19.9% (PIO 14%, health 5.15%, unemployment 0.75%) plus 10% wage tax above the non-taxable amount |
| Minimum wage | RSD 371 an hour net (excluding tax and contributions) for Jan to Dec 2026, up from RSD 337 (Oct to Dec 2025); about RSD 59,360 net for a 160-hour month (secondary: biznis.rs) |
| Employer cost on that salary | 15.15% |
Checked October 17, 2026. Source type: mixed: official (PIO 24% total, health 10.3% total, unemployment 0.75%, 2026 base floor and ceiling); secondary (employer and employee split: unija.com, Nov 26 2025; minimum wage: biznis.rs, Dec 1 2025). Sources are listed at the end of this page.
What an EOR charges to employ someone in Serbia
| Provider | EOR fee per employee per month | Deposit | Entity model (provider claim) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payoneer Workforce Management | from $199 | None listed | Claims owned entities across APAC, MEA, Europe and the Americas |
| Pebl | $399 | Not listed | About 90% of employees on Pebl-owned entities |
| Playroll | from $399 | One month's salary per employee, refundable | No clear owned-entity claim |
| Rivermate | $319 to $639 | Not stated | Claims 38 owned entities |
| Multiplier | $459 (annual) or $499 (monthly) | Sized from costs, fees and notice period (method published, no fixed amount) | Claims owned entities in 160+ countries |
| Rippling EOR | Quote only (third-party reference: $499) | Not listed | Claims Rippling entities; no partner mention |
| Deel | $599 | Not stated by Deel | Claims owned entities in 130+ countries |
| Remote | from $599 | Waived for startups; otherwise not stated | Claims 100% owned entities in 90+ countries |
| Atlas | from $599 | Not published | Claims owned entities in 160+ countries |
| Papaya Global | from $650 | Refundable deposit, amount not stated | Uses in-country partners |
| Oyster | $699 | At least one month of total service cost, refundable (per its terms) | Owned entities and partners |
| Globalization Partners (G-P) | Quote only | Not stated | Information page claims 100+ wholly owned entities |
Source: each provider’s pricing page, checked October 16, 2026. Fees are the provider’s charge on top of salary and the employer contributions above. Some providers adjust prices by country.
What a Serbian hire costs per year
We did not read a National Bank of Serbia rate, so the example runs in dollars. A salary worth USD 40,000 sits between the yearly base floor of RSD 615,564 and ceiling of RSD 8,793,840 at any recent dinar rate, so the flat 15.15% applies to all of it.
| Line | Rate | Per year (USD equivalent) |
|---|---|---|
| Gross salary, paid in dinars | $40,000.00 | |
| Pension and disability insurance (PIO), employer share | 10% | $4,000.00 |
| Health insurance, employer share | 5.15% | $2,060.00 |
| Unemployment insurance | Employee only | $0.00 |
| Employer contributions | 15.15% | $6,060.00 |
| EOR fee at $599 a month | $7,188.00 | |
| All-in cost | $53,248.00 |
Source: PIO Fund contribution bases for 2026 (pio.rs) and Tax Administration example for total rates; employer and employee split from unija.com (Nov 26, 2025), a secondary source. Fee: $599, the monthly list price on the Deel and Remote pricing pages (Oct 16, 2026). Amounts in USD because no National Bank of Serbia rate was read. Checked Oct 2026.
Arithmetic: 10% x 40,000 = 4,000 and 5.15% x 40,000 = 2,060, together 6,060. The fee is $599 x 12 = $7,188 ($2,388 at $199, $4,788 at $399, $8,388 at $699). Above RSD 732,820 a month, contributions stop growing, so the percentage falls for senior hires. Model it with the international cost calculator.
Serbian entity or EOR
Your own Serbian company handles contribution returns, the wage tax and the yearly base changes itself. On one hire, the $7,188 fee is the bigger add-on next to $6,060 in contributions. Our EOR versus entity guide explains when that flips.
Serbian contractors
Invoicing contractors take the 15.15% employer line off your books. A role with fixed hours, one client and day-to-day direction risks being treated as employment, which brings both sides of contributions back. Look at contractor management tools or a contractor of record for that risk.
Which EOR to use in Serbia
Check that a Serbian quote uses the 2026 base limits rather than 2025's, and ask whether the provider owns its Serbian entity. Deposit refunds differ too: Oyster credits its deposit about 60 days after the end date, Pebl about 45 days. Multiplier is first on our scores at 79/100 and Oyster second at 64/100 (how we rank).
See the EOR ranking for the full field, our Deel, Remote and Oyster reviews for terms, and Serbia next to Croatia in the cost index.
Frequently asked questions
What does an employer of record in Serbia cost?
What are the 2026 contribution limits in Serbia?
What is Serbia's minimum wage in 2026?
Who pays unemployment insurance in Serbia?
What notice and severance apply in Serbia?
Sources (10)
- Pebl: Pebl EOR pricing (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Playroll: Playroll pricing (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Multiplier: Multiplier pricing (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Deel: Deel pricing (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Remote: Remote pricing (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Oyster: Oyster pricing (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Payoneer Workforce Management (formerly Skuad): Skuad pricing (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- PIO Fund (Republički fond PIO): Osnovice za uplatu doprinosa (checked Oct 17, 2026)
- Tax Administration of Serbia: Example calculation of taxes and contributions (Jan 2025) (checked Oct 17, 2026)
- mfin.gov.rs/sr/propisi-1/zakon-o-doprinosima-za-obavezno-socijalno-... (checked October 17, 2026)
This page is general information, not tax, legal or accounting advice. Rules and rates change, so check the official source linked above before you file or sign a contract. Read our disclaimer.